


Spread the Word (working title)

by Elva_VanHelsing



Category: Creepypasta - Fandom
Genre: Horror, Kidnapped, POV First Person, POV Second Person, prisoner
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-06
Updated: 2018-06-19
Packaged: 2018-10-15 22:27:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 15
Words: 16,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10558730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elva_VanHelsing/pseuds/Elva_VanHelsing
Summary: You're just a normal person trying to get by... except that you've become the unwilling "guest" of a house full of killers, cannibals, and demons. Escape is impossible, safety unattainable, and peace a distant memory. Then you find out there's something worse out there... and it's hunting.





	1. Prologue

        What if I told you Smile.Dog's message wasn't intended for normal people, that the beckoning hand from the dark was a message to all those people not quite people anymore, telling them there was still somewhere they can call home. The original picture was of both of us; it was sitting on my mantle as the first of many "family" photos that we lost as the house burned to the ground.

 _Or almost lost_ , I thought to myself as I caught what was left of it between two fingers and tucked it safely away in my jacket pocket.

I sighed as I stood at the edge of the woods with the others, watching the smoke rise from the ruins of our home. I'd have to rebuild again, it wasn't the first time and likely wouldn't be the last, but the relationships I'd built here took time and I wasn't looking forward to having to start over. Not that I didn't have the time.

Believe it or not, I used to be like you. I was human once, a lot of us were, before becoming something... more.

A lot of sociopaths, when they're younger, they cut up animals. I can't say that I was any different, but my reasons certainly were. Life and death fascinated me, and my experiments... Well... Had I been born in the late 1700s, I could've been the inspiration for Mary Shelley's _Frankenstein_.

Smile is actually one of my creations, and most certainly the only one I've had survive so long on borrowed time.

He used to be a normal dog, right around the same time I was still a "normal" human, but after the incident... Well, I wasn't going to let death have the only one I ever really had, so I conducted my riskiest experiment yet. There's a reason Smile has a human, well, _smile_. He has my smile, actually... Quite literally, and I have his. I can't say where the idea to swap our smiles came from, but while I was giving him my parents' souls, I found myself swapping our smiles as well.

I guess that's the day I finally lost what little humanity I had. It was like synapses started firing in my head that should've stayed dormant.

I suppose if I'm going to tell you all this, I should probably explain who the "we" I mentioned are and why we're watching our home burn... Again.

And in order to do that, I should really go back to the beginning.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First and foremost, thank you for reading this story, I hope you've enjoyed it so far!  
> Second, I want to clarify a couple things as it may get a little confusing. I'm planning on writing this from the perspective of two different characters: Jay, whose chapters will be in first person, and you, the reader, whose chapters will be in second. I'm going to try to keep the reader's character as gender neutral as possible, but this is the first time I've attempted second person at all, so please bear with me. 
> 
> Also as sort of a side note, I will be mentioning a few characters from different creepypastas based as closely as I can manage to the original stories, so some of the characters may be a little different than you're used to (Zalgo, for example, who I plan to mention later). I'm doing this because the characters are at their core really interesting (that's why there are so many stories based on them) and I'd like to stay as true as I can to them out of respect for their creators.
> 
> So yes, most of the characters belong to their owners.
> 
> Jay on the other hand is entirely mine and while I personally have both an origin story and a "creepypasta" style story for her, neither of them are online. If it comes up later that enough people want to read them, I may post them later as either a separate work or as a special chapter, but we'll see. 
> 
> Anyway, thanks again for reading!
> 
> Elva Vychod


	2. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (y/n): your name

       You were at the library looking for books on the occult and monsters, not because you didn't have the money to buy your own books, though that was for the most part true, but because your mother would kill you if you brought books "like that" into the house. Yes, you still lived at home, not because you wanted to, but because rent was expensive and decent roommates are difficult to come by. This was your weekly trip, so by now you'd read most of the interesting books the library had, but still you browsed the shelves. You reached up to pull a thick book from the shelf to look at the cover and one of the others came with it, crashing to the floor impossibly loud in the previously undisturbed silence. You looked around wide eyed, expected some sort of response, but instead the silence settled in again and left you to kneel down and pick up what had fallen. The book was more of a journal really, with a leather cover and old, yellowing pages. You thumbed through the pages at high speed, admiring the beautiful penmanship and anatomical drawings. With a shrug you returned the other book to the shelf, the journal looked like a more interesting read than it had. You settled into one of the cozy, overstuffed chairs and opened the journal again to the inside cover, looking for a title. Instead, there wasn't even a mark that it was library property,  only a name and a date:

Jay Abney  
1882

You stared, you could tell it was old, but you hadn't thought it was that old. You turned the page and began to read what appeared to be an incredibly detailed description and drawings of the anatomical working of a bird. It said what kind, _Garrulus glandarius_ , but the name was in Latin and you didn't recognize it.

"Oh, that's where that wound up," the girl who spoke couldn't have been older than 16, but she had a commanding presence, the kind that drew your attention like a magnet. Even without that, her looks would've been enough to make you stare, her attractive features framed by raven hair and her clothes modern, but with some Victorian pieces that looked as old as the journal in your hands. Her grey eyes met yours and she smiled softly, a real smile that reached her eyes and didn't show teeth like people always expect them to. "I've been looking for that thing for ages," she gestured to the journal, "I misplaced it last time I came." Her words were so normal, but still her English accent made them sound like a song.

"This is yours? But it's ancient," she laughed lightly.

"It's part of a project I'm doing for an english class, they wanted us to write a journal, but placed in another time period, so I picked Victorian England and got a little carried away with the details." You eyed her clothing again, focusing on the red hooded vest, dark brown long coat, and matching boots.

"You must like Victorian England," she glanced down at her clothes as if she'd forgotten what she was wearing that day before letting out another soft laugh.

"I suppose so," her voice was quiet as she looked up again, "may I have my journal back?" You stared at her a moment before remembering what she was talking about.

"Oh, yeah," you held it out and she took it, tucking it into an inside pocket of her coat.

"Thanks." You were both silent for a moment, as if waiting for something to happen. Then she turned as if to leave.

"You must be Jay Abney, then," you broke the silence, so she turned back.

"Yes," you opened your mouth to speak, but she didn't give you the chance, "as in the bird, not the letter." You laughed, much to her surprise.

"You sound like you get that a lot." She shrugged.

"I used to, it's less so more recently, but then I haven't exactly gone around introducing myself to strangers recently, either," she trailed off.

"I'm (y/n)," you held out your hand for her to shake and she did, "What kind of books were you looking at over here?" Jay seemed to hesitate, looking to the door as if she was debating whether or not to stay. Then she took a breath.

"I was looking for something I haven't read yet," she looked back at you, "but I've read all of these, so I was a bit disappointed." Your eyes widened slightly.

"You've read all of these? There's gotta be at least a hundred books here in just this section, how it that possible?" She shrugged as if it were nothing special.

"I often find myself with a lot of time on my hands." You thought for a moment.

"Have you ever tried the internet?" Jay raised an eyebrow at you, as if she was a little insulted by your question and wanted to know where you were going with this, "Have you tried Creepypastas?" A look of something like disgust flashed across her expression so fast you barely had time to notice it.

"Yes, I've read quite a few," she smiled, making you second guess yourself- maybe it wasn't disgust, "they're entertaining, but I've read most of them, as well and I can only handle rereading them so many times..." she trailed off with another shrug.

“‘Entertaining’,” you quoted her, “not ‘creepy’ or ‘scary’?” She shook her head slightly with another shrug.

“I find that generally what most people call creepy or scary, I call ‘home’.” She tugged lightly at one of the two chains trailing from her vest’s buttons to one of the pockets, pulling an antique pocket watch from within and opening it. “Look, I’d really love to stay and chat,” she spoke quickly as she replaced it, “but I’m in a bit of a hurry and running out of time as it is.” She started to turn to leave, but something made her stop. “Perhaps we can meet again here some time? You seem like an interesting person,” her smile said it was a compliment, so you smiled back.  
“Sure, I look forward to it.” Jay nodded her satisfaction and then made a gesture like she was tipping a hat in farewell before darting out the door. You stared after her; _she_ was wearing clothes that looked like they could be from Victorian England, albeit with a modern flare, and yet she was calling _you_ interesting. You laughed quietly to yourself and shook your head, only then remembering that you’d been trying to find a book.

  
You met Jay again about a week later. She was sitting at one of the library’s tables pouring over books on anatomy with a hypnotic light in her grey eyes. She looked up as you approached, as if she’d known it was you coming despite your being across the room at the time. Her mask of cold focus slipped and she smiled as you sat down across from her.  
“Hello again,” you smiled back and nodded your greeting as you looked at the book in her hands.  
“What’re you reading?” She held it up so that you could read the cover.  
“ _Gray’s Anatomy_ ,” you raised an eyebrow at her.  
“Isn’t that a hospital drama on tv?” Jay looked at you as if you’d suddenly sprouted a second head.  
“A hospital drama? No, this is a human anatomy textbook. The authour was Henry Gray, it came out in 1858.” You continued to stare at her so she continued, turning her gaze back to the book, “Here: The anterior divisions of the sacral and coccygeal nerves ( _rami anteriores_ ) form the sacral and pudendal plexuses.” She stopped when she saw the blank look on your face, “you didn’t understand a word of that, did you?”  
“I understood some of it,” you spoke defensively and it was her turn to raise an eyebrow at you.  
“Uh huh,” she set the book back on the table, “what it said is basically that the anterior divisions of Sacral and coccygeal nerves, the ones that provide sensory information from the front of your pelvic area and upper thighs, are what make up the sacral and pudendal plexuses, which is like a network of nerves.” She made it sound so simple, but you weren’t going to admit that.  
“Why are you reading that?” Jay shrugged with a sheepish smile.  
“It was interesting. I’m sure you noticed when you read part of my journal, but I find anatomy fascinating.” You nodded slightly.  
“Have you considered medical school?” She laughed aloud at that.  
“They wouldn’t take me in a million years.”  
“Why not?” She wore a smile like she knew something you didn’t.  
“All that matters is that it’d never happen.”  
“So,” you changed the subject, trusting your instinct when it told you not to press the subject, “know any good horror stories?” She looked up again from her book, quiet a moment, as if in thought.  
“I might be able to think of one or two you don’t already know.” Jay trailed off with a wicked gleam in her eyes.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yes, this may be a bit short, but I'm trying to figure out a good length for the chapters, please let me know what you think and I'll try to adjust it to match. It's also a bit dialogue heavy and doesn't have a lot of "action", but be patient, I've got to start somewhere. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!  
> Elva Vychod


	3. 2

I was born on the 9th of November in 1972. My parents named me Jay, as in the bird, not the letter.

I spent most of my childhood picking up dead animals and dissecting them, teaching myself how they ticked and, eventually, how to bring them back to life. The only problem was they'd die again within the next few days.

I was obsessed with finding the answer, finding the key I was missing to create life from death.

I was 16 when Jack the Ripper flooded the papers and I stalked him through Whitechapel, learning everything I could from the bodies; It wasn’t often I got the opportunity to study humans.

Mary Jane Kelly died the morning of my birthday that year, so as a gift I'd allowed myself the time to dissect her body much the same way I had done a million times before with animals; it was messy work considering the state in which he'd left the body, but I did what I could. I came home later with her heart in a jar to find my parents about to bury Smile's body.

We weren't exactly well off and to my parents it had become a choice between him and me.

_ I  _ saw another option.

I don't really remember doing it, I just remember sitting in a pool of blood surrounded by organs with a my knife dangling loosely from my fingers and a wicked grin plastered on my face after. I saw something then, as my parents bled out, a sort of... Life, in their eyes.

_ And I wanted it. _

I won't go into detail about how I... extracted it, but I did, and I was sitting with Smile's body cradled in my lap as I injected the life into Smile's heart.

He's not immortal now, I figured that out when he ran out of time and just stopped working one day. It wasn't hard to bring him back again though, considering I had done it to numerous smaller animals, swapping souls between them and taking meticulous notes while learning everything I could about this "life" substance and how it worked. I developed a theory that every being is slotted a certain number of heartbeats, a certain amount of time, and it could be stolen, but never extended, not really.

My own time was no different.

My body began to fail me for various reasons and the stolen time wasn't enough anymore, so I built organs from metal and gears, replacing what I had to to keep myself alive. I wasn't afraid to die, I simply felt I was still needed here.

It was decades before I finally found a true purpose for my makeshift immortality.

***

I had been meeting with (y/n) off and on for a couple of months now, studying their every move as I learned more about them. I was on my way home from one such meeting when my phone vibrated and I pulled it from the pocket of my jeans, quickly unlocking it when I saw who it was texting me.

“I just got back from Pennsylvania and expected you to be at home to meet me. Where are you?” Eyeless Jack’s message made a small smile cross my lips, it was the first one I’d worn in months. Jack was one of the small group of ex-humans that lived with me in my house at the edge of town and the only one I’d really consider a “friend” outside of Smile, at least in part because he’s the only one there I can have a conversation with and not have to speak in high school level english, meaning no medical jargon. Also because we shared an appreciation for music and human anatomy. He’d been gone on a hunting trip in Pennsylvania for the last month.

“On my way home from visiting our possible pet.” I shot the message back and kept walking until I received another message.

“And?” I sighed as I read the message, tapping the button to call him rather than continue to try texting and walking; I’d adapted to technology remarkably well I’m told, but there are some things I was simply not coordinated enough for.

“What do you mean ‘and’?” I spoke as soon as Jack picked up.

“I mean give me details, what do you think? We did the scouting, but you get final say, that was the deal.” I raised an eyebrow at him even though I knew he couldn’t see me.

“You seem a lot more in favour of this idea now than you did a month ago.” I trailed off, leaving my question unasked as I stepped off the asphalt road and onto the winding trail into the woods.

“I’ll admit, it has its pros.” He spoke simply before changing the subject in a rush, “Oh, I just saw you outside. I’ll talk to you in a minute?” I hummed my answer and hung up as I saw a shadow dart across one of the windows. I had just stepped up to the porch when the front door opened to reveal a young man a little taller than me wearing a black hoodie and a dark blue, eyeless mask.

“Hey Jack,” I smiled, “I’d say welcome home, but you kind of beat me here.” I could sense him smile beneath the mask before he started to say something, but the sound of paws racing across the wood floor cut him off as Smile rushed past him to shove his head into the meat of my thigh in his usual silent greeting. “Hey, love,” my voice was soft as I stroked the husky’s head soothingly, “I missed you too.”

“Only him?” I smirked up at Jack, eyebrow raised.

“Is that jealousy I hear in your voice?” He looked away, as if the mask didn’t feel like enough to hide behind.

“Jay!” My face reset when I heard someone’s rough voice shout from further inside as a little girl with long dark curls and big green eyes joined Jack in the doorway.

“Jane and Jeff are fighting again,” she spoke in a matter of fact tone and I breathed a heavy sigh before nodding slightly.

“Alright, thank you Sally,” she smiled up at me, “why don’t you go back to playing with Charlie, I’ll go deal with them.” She turned and disappeared back inside and I slipped in after her, giving Jack an apologetic look as I passed. It wasn’t hard to find the pair of them considering their shouting was loud enough to be heard throughout the house. Jane’s pale features were hard and cold as her black lips twisted in a growl and she held Jeff at knife point. Jeff’s eyes had, impossibly, widened in panic, though he still stood tall and proud facing her with his own knife close at hand. Around them were the remains of a small table, a handful of picture frames,  and the infernal glitter she always wore. Needless to say, I was not happy to see them like this.

“Jane,” I know it probably seems unfair to only call out Jane, but based on the other times when this sort of thing had happened, I could pretty much guarantee she had started it, “what are the rules here?” My voice was cold and low, a warning. Jane glanced back at me, fear flickering across her gaze for the briefest second.

“No killing children, pregnant woman, or…  _ each other  _ ,” she bit off the last part like she couldn’t stand the taste. I cocked my head slightly to one side and smiled cruelly.

“And what exactly do you think you’re about to do?” She really should have just lowered the knife and walked away then and there, but she had to push.

“Kill Jeff.” I hummed softly, as if honestly considering her answer, but when she glanced back at me again, she was pinned beneath my gaze.

“Is that so?” I spoke softly, my voice a whisper as a wolfish grin spread across my face at the fear in her black eyes. “Do you know what happens when you break one of my rules?” My smile vanished as Jane shook her head slightly, “Why do you think that is?” She didn’t answer, only let go of Jeff and lowered her knife, crouching down to retrieve her mask and wig before busying herself with the mess they’d made. Jeff said nothing, simply tucking his knife back into the pocket of his bloodstained white hoodie before starting toward the stairs. “Jeff.” He stopped dead at my words, but I didn’t look back as I spoke, “help Jane with this mess.” He growled, his gaze narrowing as much as it could with no eyelids.

“Why should I, she started it.” I breathed a heavy sigh at his words, but didn’t speak yet, I doubted he was done, “And why should I listen to you anyway? You’re not much older than I am.” He muttered the words and I raised an eyebrow as I finally looked back at him over my shoulder.

“Jeff, I’m at least a hundred years older than you,” I paused briefly, letting that sink in, “and besides, this is  _ my  _ house and  _ my  _ territory you’re living in.” He had no argument for that as he shuffled back past me and knelt down a few feet away from Jane to help clean up. I watched for a moment longer before I turned away. “Make sure to put the pictures in the drawer in the living room, I’ll have to go get new frames tomorrow,” I called back over my shoulder before turning the corner into the living room myself.

“Oh, you’re back,” the boy that sat in front of the tv playing nintendo 64 barely looked up as I walked into the room. This was normal for Red, he never had a lot to say and we were both more than happy to leave it that way; neither of us liked talking much.

“How’s the game?” He smiled for a second, his red gaze never leaving the screen.

“You picked a good one,” I nodded slightly as I crossed the room.

“Good. Let me know when you want another one.” He mumbled something to confirm that he’d heard me before I left, trying to find my way into the kitchen. “I could’ve sworn it was here,” I spoke softly, trailing off as I opened what used to be the kitchen door only to find a wall; the house had rearranged itself again. I shook my head slightly and set off in search of the new entrance.

“Jay.” I hummed to show that I’d heard Jack, but I was too busy trying to find the door to the damned kitchen to really say anything back. “When do you think you’ll decide about our prospective pet?” I stopped, it’d completely slipped my mind.

“I don’t know,” I spoke after a moment’s thought, “there are a couple things… pieces of data I need before I decide.” I started walking again, Jack following beside me.

“Like what?” I stopped to try another door, only to find one of the bathrooms, which had apparently moved as well.

“Like DNA,” I continued down the hall, pausing to glance at the soil outside the window, I could’ve sworn I was still on the ground floor, “I need to know if there are any diseases to keep an eye on,” I glanced back at Jack, “you know, things like that.” He was quiet, mindlessly pausing to open another door further down the hall. I exhaled through my teeth as I peered past him into the elusive kitchen.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were stalling.” I shrugged.

“So what if I am, I need time to decide.” He nodded slightly and followed me into the kitchen as I flipped on the light.

“Why do you keep dead animals in here?” Jack broke the silence that had fallen when I opened the door to the freezer, pulling out the fairly fresh corpse of a raccoon I’d found on the side of the road.

“Because I don’t really have anywhere else to put them.”

“What did you do with them in England?” I shrugged at his question as I carried the raccoon back out of the room and started towards where I hoped my bedroom would still be.

“I didn’t store them, they’d rot too quickly if I tried to keep more than I could use in a day or two.” I breathed a sigh of relief as I opened the door and was greeted by the familiar sight of my bedroom/study. Normally the house’s activity wouldn’t bother me at all, but I’d had a long day and now I wanted nothing more than to busy myself with a new project, in this case bringing my raccoon back to life. “About the pet,” I looked back at Jack as he pulled his hood down and tried to get his wild chestnut hair under some semblance of control, “give me a couple days to think about it. I’ll let you know when I decide.” He nodded slightly and smiled as he slid his mask off to reveal the greyish skin and sharp teeth he always tried so hard to hide.

“I trust you,” a shy smile tugged at my lips, Jack didn’t really trust anyone, “you always make the right choice,” a wicked gleam lit up his burned black eyes as his smile turned into a grin, “even if half of your decisions seem completely insane at the time, and that’s coming from me.” I scoffed at that.

“Oh love, of everyone in this house, you’re probably the most sane.” He shrugged before turning to disappear down the hall in search of his own room. I watched him go before holding up the dead raccoon cradled in my arms, “You don’t think my decisions are insane, do you?” I stopped, lowering it again as I turned back into my room, “Oh who am I kidding, I’m talking to a raccoon I’m about to bring back to life and I built a house to live in that likes to randomly rearrange itself.” I set the raccoon down at my extensive workstation and lost myself in the project.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: 
> 
> For Jay's house, imagine the Winchester Mystery House, it's kind of like that.  
> Winchester Mystery House: www.winchestermysteryhouse.com/thehouse.cfm
> 
> Thanks for reading!  
> Elva Vychod


	4. Chapter 3

You were rereading some of your favorite Creepypastas when you glanced at the clock and realized just how late it was. As if finally remembering to be tired, you let out a yawn and stretched as you turned your computer off and decided to head to bed, you had plans tomorrow, after all. 

 

“So?” You heard a gravelly voice in the dark and stopped walking. You’d decided to walk around your block once before bed for some fresh air, but now… you were more than a little nervous. 

“So what?” You could swear your heart stopped for a second when you recognized Jay’s accent.    
“So what do you think?” The man spoke again and curiosity made you creep closer to the pair in the dark, straining to hear the conversation.    
“About the possible pet you guys picked?” A pause, you assumed the man nodded rather than speak because Jay continued a moment later, humming quietly to herself as if in thought, “I don’t know yet. You picked an interesting one, I’ll say that.” The man groaned his frustration, but it sounded more like a growl, like his vocal chords had been severely damaged so every sound he made was more rough. They weren’t too far away now, you could just make out Jay’s outline in the dark, but she was blocking whoever it was she spoke with from your sight. Or most of him anyway, she wasn’t a very tall person and her frame was incredibly slight, but then contrary to expectation, he wasn't very big either. From his voice you’d expected someone older, but based on his size, he couldn’t have been much older than fourteen or fifteen. 

“How long are you going to take? You can’t break your promise,” he trailed off, sounding almost like a little kid before Christmas… a little kid who’d smoked a pack a day since he was five. Jay laughed softly. 

“I won’t break my promise, I just want to make sure you guys picked one that’ll work,” she paused, you could hear the smile in her voice, “you don’t want to pick one who will be missed, do you?” 

“I don’t care.” The kid pouted, folding his arms across his chest. 

“If you pick the wrong one, they’ll get the police involved and  _ they’ll _ start knocking on doors. Do  _ you _ want to have to move again? Because I quite like it here.” You gasped at Jay’s words, just what the hell kind of “pet” were they talking about. You slapped a hand over your mouth to muffle the sound, but it was too late, they’d both heard you despite being across the street.

“Look who it is.” Jay turned to face you, her arms folded across her chest and a look on her face of complete mental exhaustion as she found you hiding in the dark. 

Of course, you weren’t exactly looking at her, because when she’d turned, she’d also stopped blocking your view of the young boy she was talking to. 

You couldn’t tear your gaze away as your eyes grew impossibly wide. 

Jeff the Killer stood beside Jay, hands shoved into the pockets of his white, bloodstained hoodie, his skin bleached so pale he nearly glowed in the dark. 

You forced yourself to take a step back and stumbled to the ground over a rock as his carved grin widened to the point it brought new meaning to “grinning ear to ear” and he removed one of his hands from his pocket, the streetlights giving the blade in his hand a cruel gleam. 

“Jeff,” he glanced up at Jay with eyes that never blinked, but her gaze never left you. It was cold, that gaze, the kind of cold that seeps into your soul and sucks you dry, paralyzing you. “Put the knife away, you don’t want to kill your possible pet.” You stared in horror at the words she spoke so simply you could trick yourself into believing she was talking about an animal and not a human being, if it weren’t for the fact she was talking about you that way. Jeff sighed his disappointment, his carved smile growing dangerously close to a frown, but he did as he was told, slipping the knife away as he approached you. He crossed the street in a few long strides while you sat rooted to the spot no matter how hard you tried to will your body to move. 

“Hello,” he grinned at you, relishing your fear, feeding off of it, “Jay says I can’t kill you, not unless she decides you wouldn’t make a good pet, so,” he cocked his head to one side, “ _ go to sleep _ .” With those few words, he hit you hard over the head with a rock you hadn’t even seen him pick up, knocking your consciousness far from your grasp. 

 

You sat up next to your bed at home, a cold sweat covering your body as you struggled not to hyperventilate. It took you a few minutes to really register that you were at home on the floor like you’d fallen out of bed and in whatever you’d decided to sleep in the night before. Which meant your encounter with Jeff and Jay must have been a nightmare. You breathed a relieved sigh as you felt your heart slow slightly,  _ that’s what you get for reading scary stories before bed _ . You laughed to yourself, still nervous, but more than happy to know that whatever had just happened, no matter how real it had seemed, it had been nothing more than a nightmare. Your head throbbed and for a second, panic rose inside again, until you noticed how close you were sitting to your nightstand, you must have hit your head on it when you fell out of bed. You shook yourself, turning on the light before you fixed your covers and curled up beneath them again, even though you doubted you’d get any more sleep after that, afraid you’d close your eyes and wind up right back on the side of the road with Jeff the Killer despite how many times you repeated to yourself that he wasn’t real. 

It would become your own personal mantra by morning. 

 

Jay waved to you with a friendly smile from where she stood in front of the library. As you approached, she handed you a steaming paper travel cup, the kind you get from the local coffee shop when you go. You looked at it in confusion, inhaling the scent before taking a sip of what turned out to be your favorite drink.    
“What’s this for?” She shrugged, and though graceful, her constant use of the noncommittal gesture was beginning to become unnerving. 

“I was up early enough this morning I decided I’d need some help starting the day and it felt weird to not get something for you too.” You eyed her suspiciously, her words and cold gaze from your nightmare still fresh in your mind. 

“Where’s yours?” She smiled.

“I finished it before you got here.” You were almost tempted to check the waste bin by the door for another cup like yours, but you shook yourself.  _ Now you’re just being ridiculous _ , you thought to yourself before you forced your muscles to relax and let a smile form on your lips. 

“Well thanks, I really needed this.” She nodded, concern filling her gaze. 

“Yeah, you look like you had a rough night.” Jay paused as she started walking, leading the way to her house where you were supposed to be going to borrow some of her books, “What happened?” Now it was your turn to shrug. 

“Just a bad dream,” you shivered despite the warm drink and morning sun, “a  _ really _ bad dream.” She looked up in surprise. 

“Mind if I ask what happened?” You hesitated, she might be insulted, but then again this  _ is _ Jay and she’d probably just laugh it off the same way you had that morning… or the way you’d  _ tried _ to. 

“I was walking around my block and heard you talking to some guy about getting a pet.” She raised an eyebrow, the thought that it was a strange dream written plainly across her pale face, “then I got closer and it turned out you were talking about getting a  _ human _ as a pet and the guy you were talking to was Jeff the Killer. I sort of freaked out and you guys realized I was there, so he came across the street and attacked me and that’s when I woke up.” Jay had stopped, her face expressionless as she stared straight ahead, like she was processing what I’d just said.

“A human as a pet…” she trailed off when she finally spoke, “wouldn’t that be kind of like slavery?” She started walking again and you hurried to catch up. 

“I don’t know.” 

“Well,” she laughed lightly, “All I can really say is you certainly have an active imagination.” You nodded as she stepped off the asphalt and onto a barely visible trail that wound its way deeper into the woods. 

“You really live out here?” You looked around, the forest was breathtaking, a brilliant emerald green. 

“I prefer trees and animals to people,” she spoke simply and you laughed. 

“Do you live alone?” She gave you a look like she wasn’t sure why you’d suddenly ask that, but remained silent for a few minutes before answering. 

“I have my dog,” she spoke as if to say she’d taken your words as an insult, but before you could say anything to correct her thinking, you found yourself standing in front of a victorian style house that looked straight out of a fairy tale. 

“It’s amazing,” you spoke breathlessly and she smiled. 

“Thank you,” her voice was soft as she stepped up to the front door and pulled a key from inside her jacket to unlock the door. “I’m back!” She called out into the hallway, though you weren’t entirely sure who she was talking to when she said she only lived with a dog, “I brought a friend with me!” She called again as she hung her jacket up on a stand beside the door and took her shoes off, taking your coat as well. 

“That’s a lot of coats and shoes,” you eyed all of the jackets and hoodies that hung on the stand and the line of shoes by the door. 

“We used to have a coat closet here, but I’m not really sure where it’s disappeared to,” she trailed off, leaving you to stare as she led the way down the hall. 

The house was deathly silent.

At least until you heard the sound of tiny feet scurrying across the wood floor behind you. 

You stopped and turned, but there was no one there. 

Jay had stopped as well, as if sensing your unease. 

“Sally,” she called out as you glanced back at her, a perfectly calm look on her face, as if this were a normal occurrence. Your eyes widened as you heard a little girl giggle behind you and whirled around to face the empty air. “Sally, (y/n) is our guest right now,” you turned to face Jay as she spoke to the six year old girl who had appeared between you when you weren’t looking. You hadn’t the faintest idea where she came from or how she got there without you noticing, but you said nothing as Jay smiled at the girl, “play nice, alright?” The little girl nodded, her large green eyes bright as she smiled up at Jay and then at you. 

“Hi!” Her smile was infectious as you found yourself smiling back at the sweet little girl. 

“Hello,” she cocked her head to one side, her dark hair falling over her shoulder as she seemed to study you. 

“Will you come to my tea party later?” You smiled and nodded slightly. 

“Of course she’s welcome to tea later, but for now, do you think you could go figure out where our coat closet has disappeared to?” Sally looked back up at Jay and nodded happily before skipping off down the hall, her pink dress bouncing around her. You looked up at Jay again, about to ask about the coat closet, but you found her quite a ways down the hall ahead of you and scrambled to catch up. “As you can see, I don’t live alone.” She broke the silence as she opened what seemed like a random door and stepped into a pristine, well lit kitchen, “my dog was just the first one I was going to list before we got here.” She spoke as if she knew you’d been wondering about it earlier. 

“How many people do you live with?” She was quiet as you followed her into the room. 

“Eight if you count the dog.” You blinked in surprise. 

“Are they all younger?” She shook her head slightly, shooing a raccoon out of a cabinet and off the counter before pulling out a glass. 

“Do you want anything to drink?” You watched the raccoon run out the door, forgetting your manners for a minute as your mouth hung open. 

“Wha-What?” You swallowed, “Oh, yeah, sure, some water would be good.” You spoke as she took the empty coffee cup from your hand and tossed it into a waste bin in the corner. 

“In answer to your question,” Jay spoke again as she handed you a glass of water, “No, Sally is the youngest at six. Jack and Jonathan are eighteen, Jane is fourteen, Noah is seventeen, Red is… I think nineteen now, and Jeff is fifteen.” You nearly choked on your water. 

“J-Jeff?” Confusion filled Jay’s gaze for a moment before she realized why you’d reacted. She laughed lightly. “How do you lose entire rooms?” She shrugged. 

“The house likes to move them. Most of the time we can still get to all of the rooms, although we’ve had to go through the windows from time to time, but every now and then I’ll have to put in a new door so that we can get to a room that got walled off from everything else.” She sounded insane. She spoke normally, the way she said the words making you want to believe her, but a house that rearranged itself at all, let alone on a whim… it was impossible. 

Of course, ‘impossible’ meant very little when it came to Jay. 

 

You got to meet Red and Jonathan at Sally’s apparently mandatory tea party.  She was  _ not  _ happy about the absence of not only Jeff, Jane, Noah, and Jack, but also Smile, who apparently would on any other day stay glued to Jay like he was her shadow and not in fact a dog, but Jay simply shook her head and smiled at Sally, telling her she’d been the one to tell them not to come and she’d explain why after you’d gone home. You weren’t offended, you figured it was normal family stuff. Jay was the only one to walk you to the door, picking up the raccoon from the kitchen as it tried to walk out and releasing it back into the house before she stepped out onto the porch with you. 

“Thanks for having me, it was nice meeting some of your...family.” Jay smiled. 

“Of course, thanks for coming.” She started walking you down the trail back the road and you hurried to keep up. 

“You really don’t have to walk me back to town.” She shook her head. 

“There have been a bunch of animal attacks in the area lately, I’d rather you not go by yourself.” 

“What about you?” She shrugged. 

“I’m tougher than I look.” It wasn’t all that reassuring when you thought about the animal attacks you’d seen mentioned on the news, but you got the feeling she wasn’t going to argue with you on the subject. 

“Why did you have a raccoon running around?” She smiled, a spark of delight in her eyes at the mention of the raccoon.

“She was my latest project. I found her on the side of the road and had to rebuild a bunch of body parts for her.” You stared at her in confusion. 

“I couldn’t tell at all.” She gave a humble smile, looking down at her hands as though flattered by my comment. 

“Well, I’ve had a lot of practice.” You started to ask what she meant when you saw a dark figure further up the trail, walking towards you with an almost feral slink, more animal than human. 

“J-Jay?” She glanced up at you briefly before following your gaze.

Then she smiled. 

The personality you’d gotten so used to seeing in Jay’s expression vanished as if it had never been there, replaced by an unearthly sense of cold distance. 

Her smile was the worst part. 

It was very real as the slinking figure stopped a couple paces before the pair of you. 

“Jay,” the man, you assumed by his voice, spoke her name with a question, his expression hidden behind a dark blue featureless mask with what looked like black ink dripping from the eye holes. 

“Jack,” You swallowed hard as you realized who she’d been talking about before. 

Jack… as in  _ Eyeless _ Jack.

One of the many stories you’d read online.

But they’d just been stories, right?

Just like last night…   
...was just a dream _ … _

_...right? _

“Your answer?” You hoped to whatever god would listen that Jack wasn’t talking about what you thought he was. 

Jay’s smile turned into a grin, revealing  _ very _ inhuman teeth…

...very  _ wolfish  _ teeth. 

“Yes.” You inhaled, filling your lungs to let out a scream just as Jack lunged at you, but he knocked you to the ground, effectively emptying them as he pinned you, one strong hand covering your mouth while Jay crouched down to dose you with the contents of a syringe produced from within the sleeve of her coat. 

You couldn’t move. 

_ There was no escape.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note:
> 
> So yeah, sorry if that got a little long, I got on a roll there now that the story is picking up a bit.
> 
> Also, if I screwed up the ages and names, please let me know, I’m working off what I can find for the most part, but it’s not much. On Jane, she’s generally portrayed as in her early 20s, but considering she’s supposed to be about the same age as Jeff (being in his class and all) at about the same time he became Jeff the Killer, I decided to make her younger.
> 
> And yes, Jay is a lying sociopath getting close to you for the sole purpose of deciding whether or not you’d make a suitable ‘pet’ for her little family of monsters, but hey, at least this means no one’s allowed to kill you. Silver linings, right?
> 
>  
> 
> Anyway, thanks for hanging in there and for reading. I’ll see you next month!
> 
> Elva Vychod


	5. Chapter 4

I came to America shortly after my parent’s death, moving every decade or so to avoid suspicion until I’d accumulated enough funds to build a home. Of course, it wasn’t exactly a normal home. It was a maze of doors and stairs that led to nowhere a majority of the time and that I couldn’t help but keep adding on to. It’d gotten to the point it could put the Winchester Mystery House to shame, especially once it started to rearrange it’s rooms. We that live there have gotten used to it by now, sure we’ll occasionally lose a room and I’ll have to add a door or something, and we’ll have to come in through windows rather than doors, but it’s safe this way; any outsider that comes in without being accompanied, gets lost in the halls. I found that out the hard way when a hall opened up again after months of being inaccessible and there was rotting corpse inside. Took forever to get the smell out, not that I’d usually mind, but considering the police had come by earlier that same day, I’d rather be safe than sorry.

***

I stood in the entryway with Jack, our newest pet hanging limp between us as we waited for everyone to gather in the entryway. A quick headcount after a few minutes and I was still short Noah, I was about to send Smile when he showed up, covered in drywall dust.

“What happened to you?” He gave me a sheepish smile, the exhaustion that would’ve been in his eyes had he had any written instead across the rest of his face.

“I was asleep when the house moved. It took my door,” he trailed off as I hummed quietly.

“I’ll get you a new door tomorrow.” He nodded his thanks before I turned my attention back to the group in front of me and smiled. “As I’m sure you all remember, we made a deal about six months ago now,” our pet made a small noise in horror at my statement of how long we’d been watching, “that if you could all agree on a suitable human, then I would let you have a pet.” My smile broadened, “well, you guys picked a good one.” Smiles spread across their faces as I spoke, “so yes, you can keep it, but,” my smile fled as my tone turned serious, “it’ll need a name, and I have a couple of rules.” There were a couple of groans at the mention of rules and Jeff even looked about to argue, but a sharp look from me and he swallowed his words, “First off, the ‘don’t kill each other’ rule applies to pets as well,” as an afterthought I continued, “this includes the raccoon that may or may not still be running around here somewhere.” I’d started speaking faster and mumbling, to the point my words were barely intelligible when Jack elbowed me in the ribs, forcing me to stop and slow down. “Thanks,” I whispered to him before looking up again, “the second rule is that you have to share, meaning only one of you gets it for each 24 hours. We’ll cycle it so that it stays fair.” I paused to let my words sink in, “Do you all understand?” They nodded so I smiled again. “So what shall we name it?” The pet made a sound as if trying to protest that it already had a name, but it was unintelligible and I honestly could not have cared less.

“How about Percy?” Everyone looked at Sally in surprise at her quiet suggestion, “After Pirate Percy from Candle Cove,” a smile spread across my lips and I nodded slightly when no one else spoke.

“Who gets it first?” Jonathan broke his silence and I stopped, I hadn’t really thought of that.

“Well,” I looked down at the Percy still hanging limp between Jack and I, “for the rest of today, no one, simply because I’m waiting for the drug to wear off still, but after that,” I trailed off, thinking a moment, “I think Percy should decide.” It was another hour before the drug wore off to the point Percy could speak. I’d tracked down my raccoon, locking her in my room while I tinkered with a clockwork heart.

“How could you do this to me?” I turned to see tears tracking down Percy’s face.

“I think you’re mistaking me for someone who values human life.” I spoke simply before turning back to my work.

“Who the hell are you, anyway? Them, I’ve at least heard of, even Radioface and the puppeteer, but you?” I turned again to watch with a wolfish grin as it’s courage vanished in the blink of an eye. “I find it funny really, everyone gets obsessed with Smile, no one stops to think about his owner, and you really should ask about the owner, because honestly, what kind of person keeps a dog like him.” I flashed a wicked grin, “Instead, they always think of him as just an image, but you see, the image you saw when you read that story, it’s not complete.” I picked the complete image up from the table beside me and held it out so that it could be seen from across the room. It was of Smile and I, him still smiling at the camera as I’d reached out to catch it when one of my projects knocked it from the stand. “His name wasn't always Smile, I changed it to that after I swapped our teeth, before that it was just one of the many tricks I'd taught him.” Percy looked as me as if I were insane before watching Smile jump up to settle himself comfortably on my bed.

“You’re technically a pet, why do you get treated better than me?” Smile bared his human teeth in something between a snarl and a grin. I laughed before answering for him.

“Because Smile is 131 years old, and mine.” Percy’s eyes widened.

“That’s impossible,” I shrugged.

“I’m 145.”

“You look like you’re 16 or 17.”

“Thank you.”

“How?”

“It’s simple: I’m dead. My organs still function, but my cells don’t operate the way yours do, it’s a side effect of stealing time from other people, I suppose.” Percy gave me an incredulous look.

“You don’t know?” I shrugged.

“I’m a scientist, my job is to find the answers, not just know them. If I only worked with what I already knew, then I’d be a teacher.” I set aside my tools, leaning my elbows on my knees rather than leaning forward because my hands and forearms were messy and I didn’t want to get blood on my pants. “Speaking of which, if you have any questions, now would be the time to ask,” I paused in thought a moment, “although I can’t guarantee I’ll answer them.” Percy was quiet, thinking a moment before speaking.

“Why is Jeff here?” I raised an eyebrow at it before shrugging.

“He’s only fifteen and we’re usually pretty territorial, so he was bound to wind up living with someone, but I assume Slenderman got tired of his attitude, so here he is.” I spoke simply, like I expected it to make any sense to Percy, but I didn’t have high hopes.

“And you aren’t?” I smirked.

“No, I find him more amusing than anything.” Percy stared at me with a look of horror in its eyes but decided not to continue on the subject of Jeff, instead finding another question to ask.

“So are all of those scary stories are real? Are there more of you…” it paused, trying to think of a term, “Creepypastas out there?” I didn’t even try to hide the disgust at the name “creepypasta”, I’d never liked the term much.

“I wouldn't say all of them, but yes, a lot of them are,” I paused, my voice lowering to an almost growl, “and Creepypasta is the type of story, it's not really a name for us.” Percy looked confused.

“What else am I supposed to call you?” I was quiet for a moment, thinking.

“Usually people just call us monsters, but because most of us were human at one point, I like to call us ‘ex-humans’.” Percy just looked more confused.

“What about the ones that weren’t human?”

“Like Slenderman?” I paused as it nodded, “I’d just say monster.”

“You don’t seem afraid of him,” I scoffed at the idea.

“I’m not. I told you we’re territorial; we have a deal, he and I: he stays in his territory and I stay in mine. It’s simple that way.” Percy still looked confused.

“What about the others? Like…” It paused, seeming to wrack it’s brain trying to remember all the stories it’d read, “Like Zalgo.” I actually laughed aloud at that.

“Zalgo?” My voice was dark and cold, “He’s a joke, he can’t even touch the real world, only images.” I bared my teeth in a show of disgust before leaning back again in my chair, “people often forget that,” my words were low. Percy didn’t look so sure, but I ignored it, turning back to my work. “Get some sleep, you’ll have to decide who to go with first tomorrow, and you’ll need your strength.” I didn’t bother to make sure it went to sleep, I had Smile to keep an eye on it and even if by some stroke of luck on their part Percy managed to get past me out into the rest of the house, there were the others out there and the house itself to stop it. No, I grinned to myself, Percy is not going anywhere.

 

As usual, I was awake before anyone else in the house, making my way to the kitchen in the silence as I stroked the still sleeping raccoon in my arms like a cat. I was a little sad to think any minute now her body would stop working again and death would reclaim her, but then, I’d already given her another day of life to appreciate. I wondered if it was more beautiful after coming back from the dead. Having never really died myself, I couldn’t say. I was an anomaly, both dead and alive but not technically knowing either all that well. I sighed to myself as the raccoon purred and I pushed open the door to the kitchen. The light was on and much to my surprise, I found Jack leaning against one of the counters in his pajama pants, mouth open with a forkful of the kidney, ham, and cheese bread pudding I’d made the night before on the off chance I didn’t feel like making breakfast this morning.

“Good morning,” I smiled as Jack took his bite and chewed slowly, as if buying himself time. I waited for him to swallow.

“Good morning,” he returned the greeting, sleep still in his voice as he set his fork back down on the plate.

“What’re you doing up so early?” I opened the refrigerator to retrieve the larger dish of bread pudding, the one I’d made without kidneys, and a couple of eggs to make myself breakfast. Jack shrugged, finally sitting down at the table as if he knew I was about to tell him not to eat standing up.

“I don’t know,” he paused, spearing more of the food on his fork, “I guess I’m still on Pennsylvania time.” I raised an eyebrow at his excuse before shrugging it off. Truth be told, I didn’t actually get up all that early, it was about 6:30 now, it’s just that the household was mostly made up of semi-nocturnal people who would be up long after dark. I’d join them, but my body’s circadian rhythm has been pretty much locked in since the incident, putting me somewhere between five and eight hours ahead of what it should’ve been. It was good thing I could operate so well on little to no sleep.

“Where’s Percy?” I glanced up from the eggs on the stove when Jack broke the silence, mild surprise crossing my face for a split second.

“Probably asleep still,” I shrugged, “Smile is keeping an eye on it.”

“What do you plan to do with the parents?” Jack’s question caught me off guard and for a moment, I was silent, thinking to myself.

“I’ll handle them.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: So I just want to pop in real quick and explain why I decided to have them name you “Percy”. I needed them to name you entirely because I got sick of constantly writing (y/n), but it works because frankly, they don’t give a damn what you’re actual name is, hell, they don’t even care what gender you are. I do this deliberately because, as I said before, I’m trying to keep “Percy” gender neutral, but I honestly believe it works, it adds to the story, showing just how little they value human life even though everyone in this batch (with the exception of Smile) was once human. I picked Percy specifically because even though Percy isn’t a gender neutral name (that I’m aware), I plan to reference Candle Cove among other Creepypasta shows as their version of Sunday Cartoons. Sally, being the youngest and only one really in the target age range for most tv shows like Candle Cove, is the only one that I think would enjoy the show enough to name a pet after one of the characters. Percy is always portrayed as nervous and easily frightened, traits all of them would likely see in you when you’re hanging paralyzed between a cannibal and Jay (though you definitely have not seen the worst of her yet) facing a bunch of killers looking to turn you into their pet. If you have any further questions or better ideas for a name or how to do this, please let me know. Thanks for reading! Elva Vychod


	6. Chapter 5

You woke up alone on the floor of a cold room that smelled of death.   
It took you a few minutes to really remember everything that had happened the day before and suddenly you were scrambling to your feet to try the door.   
There was a low growl from the bed behind you as your hand reached the knob.   
Smile was watching you, but he made no move to follow, as if he knew something you didn't.   
You shook off your sense of unease and opened the door, about to run out into the hall when you came face to face with Jay. She only smiled at you, a cold smile, like she found you an amusing test subject.  
"I hope you've thought long and hard about who gets you first, because they'll all be eager to know when they get up in an hour." She said nothing about your attempt to run, "in the meantime, I made breakfast if you'd like some." She spoke as if you were a welcome guest and not being held prisoner.   
Though you weren't actually being restrained.   
You thought about making a run for it, but something told you there was no escape from this house, not for you. It was like the building was some sort of living maze, of moving doors and halls and stairs that sometimes led to nowhere. You'd seen that the day before; you knew you'd get lost before you got out. You could always die, that was one escape you knew they couldn't take from you.   
But you didn't want it.  
Truthfully, the idea scared you.   
So you followed Jay in silence as she led you back to the kitchen with Smile close at her side.

You were trying to decide who to go with for your first day as a pet when Jay set a plate of food on the table before you. You hesitated at first, but it smelled so good and you distinctly remember Jay saying they weren't allowed to kill you. You doubted she'd break her own rule.  
Or you hoped she wouldn't.   
As you picked up the fork, taking a deep breath, Jack returned to the kitchen, pausing to whisper something to Jay before getting himself a cup of coffee and sitting across the table from you. You studied the pair while you ate, trying to figure out what kind of people they were. Jack sat with his mask pulled to the side a little so that he could drink his coffee without revealing his face, his hoodie hanging on the back of his chair, no longer covering the greyish skin of his arms or chestnut hair. He was quiet, like he didn't feel a need to fill the silence. Jay had made herself a cup of tea before taking a seat beside Jack, not at the head of the table like you'd expected. Her presence was different from the day you'd met, it was still commanding without coming across as self centered, but now there was an iciness to it, like the cold look in her grey eyes. She didn't have that look now as she and Jack started a quiet conversation at the end of the table.   
If you didn't know any better, and if not for their looks, you'd think they were just normal kids.   
But you did know better, so instead they looked like a cannibal and a corpse.   
Jay stood when you finished eating, taking your plate to the sink and washing it before stepping out into the hall for something. You turned your gaze to Jack.   
"Why does everyone listen to Jay? How can she compete with Slenderman?" Jack looked up from his coffee, his mask concealing his expression from you. He was quiet a moment, as if thinking about how to answer.   
"Jay is... Jay is something else," you gaze narrowed into a glare, "truth be told, she scares most of the others. It's not that she's violent, it's just... She's a special kind of insane." You probably looked confused because after an exasperated sigh, he continued, "There's something about her that people fear on an instinctual level. She's cold, but not like she doesn't care, it's more like she's the embodiment of death, like being around her lets it seep into your soul." You shivered at his words, you'd felt the cold he was talking about. "I've only seen her kill once, and I don't care to see it again." He kept going, and you couldn't find your voice to tell him you didn't want to know, "She did it when they were awake, and she explained it to them while she took them apart like that was supposed to be some comfort to them." He sat back in his chair, "Then she left them there with a crushed lung or something, leaving them just enough time to suffer as they died." He took a sip of his coffee, "She took the one I saw apart completely, all of his organs now outside his body, but she pulled it off without it killing him. No, she cut a hole in his windpipe and let him asphyxiate." You could swear you heard him smirk at the last part, but were too shocked to answer. Jay returned a moment later, pausing briefly to take in the look of horror on your face before returning to her tea.   
"Everyone else will be down in a minute. We'll have your answer after breakfast." You knew most of the stories, but they were just that: stories. To say you were nervous about the decision would be an understatement.   
You glanced at Jay as you thought about it; all you knew for sure was that your instincts told you not to try to choose her or Smile. You turned your gaze to Jack, but you didn't like the idea of being his pet much more than you did hers. Jeff was too violent, Jane too unknown, something was off about Red, Jonathan liked to use people's tendons as puppet strings, which left Noah and Sally. You weren't fond of either of them, but you didn't know a lot about Noah other than he was prone to violent outbursts and Sally... she'd seemed so sweet the other day...   
You barely noticed as the others came in to join the three of you, each grabbing a plate and digging in like they were just one big happy, normal family. You listened to them talk, lulled into a sense of security right up until you realized what they were talking about. They sounded like they were talking about things as simple as school and friends, but what they spoke of was nowhere near as normal. It was more like Jack's hunting trip to Pennsylvania and other recent kills in enough detail you thought you were about to lose your meal. It didn’t take them long to finish their meal and clear the table, leaving you suddenly the center of attention.   
“Percy,” Jay spoke with an easy smile, “have you decided who you’ll be spending today with?” You froze, looking around the table at everyone’s expectant gazes.   
“Ummm…” You tried to buy yourself time, but you were still panicking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!  
> Please choose who you would like to pick for day one.  
> Red:   
> Sally:   
> Jeff:   
> Jane:   
> Jonathan:   
> Jack:   
> Noah:   
> Jay:


	7. Chapter 5

You woke up alone on the floor of a cold room that smelled of death.  
It took you a few minutes to really remember everything that had happened the day before and suddenly you were scrambling to your feet to try the door.  
There was a low growl from the bed behind you as your hand reached the knob.  
Smile was watching you, but he made no move to follow, as if he knew something you didn't.  
You shook off your sense of unease and opened the door, about to run out into the hall when you came face to face with Jay. She only smiled at you, a cold smile, like she found you an amusing test subject.  
"I hope you've thought long and hard about who gets you first, because they'll all be eager to know when they get up in an hour." She said nothing about your attempt to run, "in the meantime, I made breakfast if you'd like some." She spoke as if you were a welcome guest and not being held prisoner.  
Though you weren't actually being restrained.  
You thought about making a run for it, but something told you there was no escape from this house, not for you. It was like the building was some sort of living maze, of moving doors and halls and stairs that sometimes led to nowhere. You'd seen that the day before; you knew you'd get lost before you got out. You could always die, that was one escape you knew they couldn't take from you.  
But you didn't want it.  
Truthfully, the idea scared you.  
So you followed Jay in silence as she led you back to the kitchen with Smile close at her side.

You were trying to decide who to go with for your first day as a pet when Jay set a plate of food on the table before you. You hesitated at first, but it smelled so good and you distinctly remember Jay saying they weren't allowed to kill you. You doubted she'd break her own rule.  
Or you hoped she wouldn't.  
As you picked up the fork, taking a deep breath, Jack returned to the kitchen, pausing to whisper something to Jay before getting himself a cup of coffee and sitting across the table from you. You studied the pair while you ate, trying to figure out what kind of people they were. Jack sat with his mask pulled to the side a little so that he could drink his coffee without revealing his face, his hoodie hanging on the back of his chair, no longer covering the greyish skin of his arms or chestnut hair. He was quiet, like he didn't feel a need to fill the silence. Jay had made herself a cup of tea before taking a seat beside Jack, not at the head of the table like you'd expected. Her presence was different from the day you'd met, it was still commanding without coming across as self centered, but now there was an iciness to it, like the cold look in her grey eyes. She didn't have that look now as she and Jack started a quiet conversation at the end of the table.  
If you didn't know any better, and if not for their looks, you'd think they were just normal kids.  
But you did know better, so instead they looked like a cannibal and a corpse.  
Jay stood when you finished eating, taking your plate to the sink and washing it before stepping out into the hall for something. You turned your gaze to Jack.  
"Why does everyone listen to Jay? How can she compete with Slenderman?" Jack looked up from his coffee, his mask concealing his expression from you. He was quiet a moment, as if thinking about how to answer.  
"Jay is... Jay is something else," you gaze narrowed into a glare, "truth be told, she scares most of the others. It's not that she's violent, it's just... She's a special kind of insane." You probably looked confused because after an exasperated sigh, he continued, "There's something about her that people fear on an instinctual level. She's cold, but not like she doesn't care, it's more like she's the embodiment of death, like being around her lets it seep into your soul." You shivered at his words, you'd felt the cold he was talking about. "I've only seen her kill once, and I don't care to see it again." He kept going, and you couldn't find your voice to tell him you didn't want to know, "She did it when they were awake, and she explained it to them while she took them apart like that was supposed to be some comfort to them." He sat back in his chair, "Then she left them there with a crushed lung or something, leaving them just enough time to suffer as they died." He took a sip of his coffee, "She took the one I saw apart completely, all of his organs now outside his body, but she pulled it off without it killing him. No, she cut a hole in his windpipe and let him asphyxiate." You could swear you heard him smirk at the last part, but were too shocked to answer. Jay returned a moment later, pausing briefly to take in the look of horror on your face before returning to her tea.  
"Everyone else will be down in a minute. We'll have your answer after breakfast." You knew most of the stories, but they were just that: stories. To say you were nervous about the decision would be an understatement.  
You glanced at Jay as you thought about it; all you knew for sure was that your instincts told you not to try to choose her or Smile. You turned your gaze to Jack, but you didn't like the idea of being his pet much more than you did hers. Jeff was too violent, Jane too unknown, something was off about Red, Jonathan liked to use people's tendons as puppet strings, which left Noah and Sally. You weren't fond of either of them, but you didn't know a lot about Noah other than he was prone to violent outbursts and Sally... she'd seemed so sweet the other day...  
You barely noticed as the others came in to join the three of you, each grabbing a plate and digging in like they were just one big happy, normal family. You listened to them talk, lulled into a sense of security right up until you realized what they were talking about. They sounded like they were talking about things as simple as school and friends, but what they spoke of was nowhere near as normal. It was more like Jack's hunting trip to Pennsylvania and other recent kills in enough detail you thought you were about to lose your meal. It didn’t take them long to finish their meal and clear the table, leaving you suddenly the center of attention.  
“Percy,” Jay spoke with an easy smile, “have you decided who you’ll be spending today with?” You froze, looking around the table at everyone’s expectant gazes.  
“Ummm…” You tried to buy yourself time, but you were still panicking.

 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!  
Please choose who you would like to pick for day one.  
[Red:](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10558730/chapters/28667608)  
[Sally:](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10558730/chapters/28667672)  
[Jeff:](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10558730/chapters/28667696)  
[Jonathan:](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10558730/chapters/28857648)  
[Jane:](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10558730/chapters/32003667)  
[Jack:](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10558730/chapters/34700762)  
[Noah:](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10558730/chapters/34700771)  
[Jay:](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10558730/chapters/34700786)


	8. "Red"

"No."   
"What?" His answer surprised you but in truth, a small part of you was relieved.   
"Satoshi," Jay's voice was even but still all eyes went to her. She spoke fluently in what sounded like Japanese, her words quiet and yet still carrying an immense amount of power despite you having no idea what she was saying. Red looked down at the table in front of him until Jay fell silent, then he looked up at her with a look like he really didn't want to agree with whatever she'd said. He answered, also in Japanese, but she only raised an eyebrow at him, causing his words to die on his lips.   
"Alright," he spoke finally, "I guess we can play games or something."   
  
Games should be fun, right?

Except that Red wasn't talking about playing games the way you'd been thinking. Instead, he'd dragged you into the game, leaving him on the outside controlling you like you were the player character. You supposed it'd be okay except that when you stopped to think about it, how many times did the player character get killed in most games? Would you respawn like they did, or would that just be it?

You stopped thinking about it when the game started and you found yourself outside the broken gates of a rundown asylum. There was an old sign labeling it as Mount Massive; the name sounded familiar, but you didn’t really have time to think on it when you found yourself breaking in. It was pitch black inside and you were suddenly thankful Red had made you pick up the video camera that’d been in the passenger seat; without the nightvision, you were blind. It was empty in the first few rooms, just long enough for you to start to think maybe things wouldn’t be so bad, but then you started hearing things and a scent like rotten meat and sharp copper hit you like a wall and your stomach dropped. In the next room you found blood, like someone had been attacked and tried to escape through the vent in the ceiling. When you hoisted yourself up into the vent you expected to find a body… you hoped to find a body, because if the body was gone that meant someone or some _thing_ had dragged it away to do god knows what. You sure as hell didn’t want to know. Of course, there was no body. You made the mistake of glancing through the slats of another vent as you passed just in time to see someone dart through the door; he’d looked human, but something seemed off, like he was just masquerading as a human. Though thinking back on it, your judgement hadn’t been too sharp on that particular subject in the past and you doubted it was any better now. You carried on through the vent, dropping out of the other side into a large upstairs hallway looking down over what looked like the entryway. Red moved you to open the only door you could access and you let out a loud scream as the mangled remains of a human swung down in front of you. The room reeked of rotting flesh and blood and filth, but despite your resistance, Red made you go inside. You found another corpse, and blood everywhere, but what you saw around the corner was something that would scar you for the rest of your life. There were a pile of body parts, heads arranged on shelves like they were books and a man hanging impaled on a spike rising from the ground. As you approached, the man moved and to your horror you realised the man was _still alive_ .   
“They killed us. They got out. The Varients. You can’t fight them. You have to hide.” You didn’t want to hide, you wanted to run, but Red kept you rooted to the spot as you watched the man squirm on the spike. “...can unlock the main doors from the security control. You have to get the fuck out of this terrible place.” He clawed at the spike with bloody hands, trying to pull himself up on as if hoping that might ease the pain some. Then he died, his last breath shuddering through his body as he slid further down the spike. You turned the corner and continued to the other door, dreading what you’d find on the other side. You crept around a corner and started to squeeze through the small gap in the barricade, but before you could get too far you felt a strong grip on your arm pull you back out.   
“Little pig!” The giant of a man that picked you up shouted the words as you got a good look at his grotesquely deformed face and you began to cry. He took you in one hand as you tried to pry his grip off of you and you got your wish as he pitched you through the glass and you found yourself falling to the first floor below. You hit the ground hard, your world kicked away as you felt bones crunch your head smacked the ground.

 

When Red finally pulled you out of the game at the end of the day, your body ached and you were shaking uncontrollably, jumping at every little sound. The silver lining of the day, though it wasn't much of one, was that Red was incredibly good at the game and hadn't gotten you killed once. Under normal circumstances you would've thanked him as you followed him to his room after dinner, but these weren't normal circumstances and he'd been the one to put your life at risk in the first place.

You breathed a heavy sigh as Red let you into his room after him and left you to curl up on the floor in the corner.

You just wanted this day to be over, but as you lay on the floor, you struggled to close your eyes and not flash back to the horrors of the game and the horrors of what had become of your life.

 

Continue


	9. "Sally"

"Yay! We can play jacks, and cars, and-"  
"Sally," Jay tried to stop the girl, her voice calm, but Sally was on a roll.  
"-catch, and dolls, and-"  
"Sally!" Jay's voice cut the little girl off as the room seemed to drop in temperature. "Whatever you play," her voice was quiet again, "it cannot kill Percy." Her voice was a warning, only then did you remember Sally's story and the gruesome scene the little girl had created from all those she'd 'played' with.  
"Yes, Jay," you could swear there was disappointment in Sally's voice.  
"Promise?"  
"Promise." Sally beamed up at Jay again, all her disappointment gone in a second. "Can we go watch Candle Cove?" Jay nodded slightly with a soft smile and Sally shot to her feet, grabbing you by the arm with an impossibly strong grip for such a small child and dragging you from the room.

 

You stared at the screen sitting on the floor beside Sally, not sure if you wanted to know what it was she was watching or if you should be thankful all you saw and heard was static. She giggled beside you and you glanced over at her. She was a cute kid, smiling happily with her teddy bear in her lap and bright eyes glued to the screen. The program must have ended because Sally turned the tv off and stood.  
"Come on, let's go play dress up," you didn't have time to reply before she grabbed you by the arm and hurried out into the hall to one of the many sets of stairs. She pulled you after her into her room and gestured for you to sit down while she went to pull a trunk from her closet.  
"Sally, I really don't-" you started to protest, still standing in the corner while she opened the trunk, it's contents spilling out of the top.  
"Sit down," she told you again, but you still hesitated.  
"Sally-"  
"Sit down!" Her image flickered, her voice echoing as blood poured over her face and stained her dress, her eyes black. Your knees went weak and you collapsed to a sitting position on the floor. You blinked and her image returned to normal as she smiled. "I promised I wouldn't kill you, but I can still play with you, as long as I don't make you bleed too much." She spoke with a sweet innocence that almost tricked you into forgetting what had just happened and smiling back. You smiled weakly and nodded so Sally turned back to her trunk of dress up things.

You and Sally played dress up and other games for what felt like days, but finally after dinner, Jay knocked on the door and came in.  
"Alright Sally, it's time to go to bed." Sally groaned.  
"But Jay-" Sally started to argue, but Jay didn't let her.  
"Sally, bed."  
"No!" Her image flickered again and you shrank back in your corner; there was something demonic about the little girl when she became like this.  
"Sally," you looked back at Jay, her voice was cold, she was unfazed by Sally being on the cusp of a demon level tantrum. Sally's rage grew, but Jay didn't flinch. The room seemed to grow darker and colder with every passing second, slowly sapping at Sally’s rage until her image flickered back to normal.  
"Alright, I'll go to bed." Sally grumbled the words and Jay nodded slightly before leaving the room with an easy smile, taking the dark and cold with her.

 

Continue


	10. "Jeff"

As soon as you said the name you wanted to take it back because Jeff’s Glasgow smile widened just like it had in your nightmare.  
"This is going to be fun," you could find no words for a response.   
"Do try to take it easy today, Jeff," you turned your wide eyes on Jay where she sat with an easy smile, "this is only day one after all and we do not know how much Percy can take." Jeff nodded slightly, but judging by the excitement in his eyes you doubted he had really heard her.   
"Come on," he hopped up from his chair and bolted from the room without waiting to see if you listened. You hesitated, but Jay's smile had turned cold and you suspected Jeff would be the least of your concerns if you stayed much longer. You hurried after Jeff through the maze of halls, afraid to even try to break the silence. Eventually you got outside, but at the same time, the good sized yard was surrounded on all four sides by more house so you doubted you were really outside. Jeff picked up a decent sized stick from under the large tree in the middle of the yard and beamed as he came back to where you stood watching. He raised it above his head and you winced, closing your eyes and readying yourself for the blow, but it never came. Instead you opened your eyes in time to see the stick whistle through the air and land on the far side of the yard. You looked at Jeff and he looked down at you. "Fetch." He finally broke the silence and you stared at him in complete shock.   
"What?" His gaze narrowed as much as it could and his grin turned dark.   
"Not 'what', fetch. Dogs don't talk." He practically growled the last words and your eyes, impossibly, widened further. Still, the kid was pretty terrifying, so you ran across the yard to pick the stick out of the pile of leaves it'd landed in. You turned and Jeff's glare split the distance like a knife. You hesitated, trying to think of what could be wrong before slowly, you dropped to all fours and began to crawl back, though Jeff's glare remained. "You're slow, and dogs don't have thumbs." He took the stick and threw it again, waiting while you watched hopelessly as it landed among the leaves again. You sighed and began crawling again. Finally you reached the corner and lifted the stick gingerly in your mouth. When you turned around, Smile had joined Jeff by the door; you could swear he smirked as he watched you crawl back.   
  
For hours Jeff made you crawl back and forth across the yard. Your knees ached, your hands were scraped up, and your jaw hurt when you let go of the stick again. You were tired, but he wasn't done so again he threw the stick. You crawled slowly to where the stick landed before your weary bones got the better of you and you climbed to your feet, lifting the stick in your hand. Jeff had crossed the yard in the time it took you to turn around and he wore a cruel smile on his face when he grabbed your wrist.   
"I told you, dogs don't have thumbs," he pulled his knife from his pocket and began to dig into the meat of your palm, wedging the blade into the joint at the base of your thumb, "maybe I need to remove them so you remember." You let out a pained cry when you felt the joint pop free, tears streaming down your face as the blood gushed from the wound and stained your sleeve and Jeff's pale hands. Your thumb fell to the ground and Jeff took hold of your other hand, prepared to do the same to it. You saw Jay in the doorway as you fell to your knees and for a moment you hoped she'd help you, that this wouldn't qualify as "easy", but without a backward glance she disappeared back into the house while Jeff removed your other thumb. Then he left you there, weeping in the bloody grass, laughing as he went.   
  
You'd gone mercifully numb after laying there for a while and you barely noticed when Jay returned to the yard with Smile at her heels. She looked down at you with something in her gaze... Not pity, no, something more like... Disgust. Then without a word she picked your thumbs up out of the grass and turned on her heel. Smile watched you, like they both expected you to follow her and he was waiting for you to get up and dust yourself off. Eventually, you did, your head spinning from blood loss and how long you'd lain there, but still you managed to stumble after Jay until you reached her room and the lab she had set up inside. She reattached your thumbs with skilled hands before binding them in cloth and sending you out the door with Smile to guide you through the house, which was good considering you didn't know where you were going. Finally he scratched  at a door and left, leaving you back in the care of Jeff when he opened the door.   
"There, sleep." Jeff pointed to an old piled up comforter in one corner of the room and after his episode with your thumbs, you didn't dare say a word before collapsing into the pile and praying sleep would come quickly.   


Continue


	11. Jonathan

You looked around the table until finally your gaze fell on Jonathan. Unlike the day before, his eyes were filled with a strange yellow glow that made you shiver in your seat. Jonathan smiled when he saw you staring, looking to Jay before he spoke.  
"Percy chose me," you couldn't find the words to argue and you couldn't shake your head no matter how hard you tried. Jay gave him a look like she knew this was his doing, but she didn't tell him to stop whatever it was he was doing, instead she just shrugged and leaned back in her seat.   
"Do be careful, Jonathan, humans don't fix as easily as puppets and dolls," you tried again to speak, but no words came out even as Jonathan stood from his seat and left with your body trailing unwillingly after him.

He took you to a theater in the house. From the outside the house hadn’t looked all that big and yet here you were in a room that could easily seat hundreds. You stared as Jonathan d with a decided purpose setting up props on the stage after making you stop beneath the spotlights. Then he dragged what looked like a large closet on wheels out from behind the curtain and you watched in mild curiosity as he opened it, revealing human size and very realistic dolls. As he pulled a couple of them out into the light, your blood ran cold as you realized they were real humans, some of them probably people you’d seen on tv and fliers reported missing. All those people looking for them and here they were, perfectly preserved… and dead. Jonathan pulled thick cords from clean cuts in the body’s flesh, keeping them neat and orderly as he strung them up like limp puppets from a contraption above the stage.   
“Tendons,” he spoke with a nightmare inducing smile in your direction as he worked, “they’re stronger than string and work just as well.” You went cold, a chill running up your spine as you really registered what he was saying; with you he could control you just by looking at you, but these were corpses, there was no active nervous system for him to manipulate in a corpse. “Now,” he finished what he was doing and clapped his hands together, “let’s get you ready for a puppet show.” He made you sit on a chair in the center of the stage and closed the distance between you with long strides. He took your arm in his hands and before you could figure out what he was doing, he wrenched it to the side and their was a sickening pop as your shoulder was dislocated. You tried to cry out in pain as he dislocated your elbow and wrist, then each of your fingers, but he kept your mouth closed tight. He moved to the other side and repeated the process before doing the same to your legs.   
Then he made you stand; tears poured down your cheeks at the excruciating pain, but his witchcraft had no mercy on you as he made puppeted you in scene after scene of plays he seemed to draw from thin air.

He left you with Jay to fix your joints, she didn’t give you anything for the pain, just put you back together in silence while you writhed in pain on the blood stained table. Then she shoved you out the door where you found Smile waiting for you. The dog gave you a look like you could swear he was saying you were pitiful, then he turned away from you and slunk down the hall. You hesitated a moment before deciding it would be best to follow the dog and not incur the wrath of Jay or the house by wandering it. You followed Smile as he wove through the halls until you found yourself back in the theater. The dog led you to the back of the stage where, in amongst props and the box full of the Puppeteer’s “dolls” you found Jonathan waiting in what appeared to be his room.   
“Sleep,” he gestured to a cot to one side and you sat down, curling up on your side and hugging your knees to your chest, hoping to god sleep would come quickly.   


Continue


	12. "Jane"

She was unknown, sure, but she hadn't killed anyone unless she was hunting Jeff... As far as you knew.  
"J-Jane?" Jane's black eyes turned on you, but her expression was unreadable, as if she were wearing a mask. After what felt like an eternity of silence, you looked towards Jay. A smile crept across her lips, the kind that revealed her sharp, bloodstained teeth and made her look like a wolf toying with its prey. Jeff scoffed from his seat at the table. “Did-did I pick wrong?” you’re voice shook at the prospect that maybe you were missing something, but Jay only grinned wider, which did nothing to ease your fears.  
“There is no wrong or right. The most horrific thing about Jane isn’t that she’s a killer, it’s that she likes to wear body glitter and that stuff get everywhere and never comes out.” Jane glared at Jay, but you could only stare, questioning whether or not you’d heard right; under different circumstances, you probably would’ve laughed aloud at Jay’s remark. Jane clearly wasn’t amused by Jay’s comment because she shoved herself away from the table before she grabbed you by the arm with a surprisingly strong grip and dragged you out of your chair.

She shut you in her room with her, leaving you to sit uncomfortably on the floor while she paced, muttering and fuming to herself. It would’ve been boring if it weren’t for the fact you spent the entire time waiting for her to snap and attack you.  
She never did.  
No, Jane spent most of the day pretending you weren’t there while she planned a way to kill Jeff and get away with it. She never seemed to come up with a plan she liked, something about Jay having a rule against them attacking each other while in her territory.  
You supposed you were lucky that day as you curled up on the floor in the corner that night, but you doubted tomorrow would go as well for you.

 

Continue


	13. Jack

You looked to Jack as he removed his mask and set it aside, like he was comfortable with these people. He seemed the most normal of the group, making you question the accuracy of his story. As if he could feel your eyes on him, he turned and met your gaze, his black eyes glittering with something like hunger. A smile spread across his face, revealing his sharp teeth.

Then he licked his lips, a very animalistic gesture, as if he were a predator looking at a particularly tasty meal.

You shivered and tore your gaze away, looking back at the group around the table again, trying to decide who to pick.

[Go Back](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10558730/chapters/28667300)


	14. "Noah"

Noah didn't react to your choosing him and you began to wonder if he'd heard you at all through the noise cancelling earmuffs he wore to protect himself from sound. You looked to Jay in confusion, but she wasn't watching you anymore as she touched Noah lightly on the shoulder. When he looked up at her, she used sign language to tell him you'd chosen him. Noah looked confused as his gaze turned to you and he pulled the hearing protection down around his neck.  
"Why?" You blinked in surprise.  
"Umm... I-I-"  
"Don't stutter," you snapped your mouth shut as he glared at you.  
"I don't know," you finally tried again despite his glare and he breathed a heavy sigh.  
"You're an idiot, aren't you." He muttered the words before pulling the hearing protection back up over his ears as if to signal the conversation was over. You waited uncomfortably while the rest of the table sat in silence, watching Noah. Finally Jay stood, the sound of her chair scraping against the tile floor breaking the silence.  
“Alright, I’ve got better things to do with my time than sitting here staring at the wall, so you kids have fun.” She spoke as if reminding them they had better things to do as well, jolting them out of their apparent stasis. Noah rose as well and though he didn’t make any move to make sure you followed him, you doubted Jay would appreciate you staying where you were unsupervised. You darted after him, terrified of what he might have planned for you and yet too afraid of getting lost here to lag too far behind.

 

If you started out with a pretty good idea of where you were in the house, you lost it after passing a window with a nice view of the treetops outside; you were pretty sure you climbed only one set of stairs and the kitchen was most certainly in the basement, and yet here you were with a third story view. You shook free of the confusion and hurried after Noah once again, turning a corner after him just in time to see him climbing through a hole in the drywall. You stepped through after him, wincing as a sharp whine hit your ears. You tried to just grin and bear it while you took in your surroundings, the lack of windows or a real door, the odd array of gramophones and radios, some whole and some in pieces. Then the high pitched whine grew louder, forcing you to clasp your hands over your ears as you tried to block out the sound. You looked up at Noah in time to see him adjust a dial on one of the working radios and the sound grew louder still. You collapsed to your knees, gritting your teeth against the pain of the sound. You felt something cool and wet on your fingers and when you pulled your hands away from your ears, they were covered in blood. There was a ringing in your head now and you doubted it would go away even if Noah had turned the radio off. You caught a glimpse of him as you doubled over, clutching your ears again as tears tracked down your cheeks.  
You screamed but made no sound.  
And he was smiling.  
Then, mercifully, you blacked out.

You sat numbly at the dinner table, deaf to the voices of those around you; deaf to everything except that ringing sound you couldn’t seem to shake. You’d stopped bleeding at some point though, you supposed that was a good sign at least: the silver lining for the day. That and you’d be deaf to the high pitched whine again when you returned to Noah’s room to sleep for the night.  
Or at least, you hoped you would be.

 

Continue


	15. Jay

You looked again towards Jay; better the devil you know, right?  
You started to speak, but your words died on your lips as she met your gaze and you were overwhelmed by that soul sucking cold again. The fear that filled you at her gaze made your heart race as you struggled to breath, your vision going dark, though you couldn't tell if it was from fear or something else.  
She smirked, revealing one of her blood stained canines with a wicked gleam in her eyes and you finally managed to tear your gaze away.  
No, you weren't wrong about "better the devil you know", but that look had been a harsh reminder that you didn't really know this particular devil.  
You took a shaky breath, trying to steady your heart beat before you looked around at the table again, trying to decide who to pick.

[Go Back](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10558730/chapters/28667300)


End file.
